February 15, 2013

Home of the Arctic WarriorsVol. 4, No. 7

ALASKA POSTFort Wainwright, Alaska

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allen shaw,Fort Wainwright PAO

Two civilian leaders from the United States Army Gar-rison Fort Wainwright were named as part of the “Top Forty under 40” by the Alas-kan Journal of Commerce Feb. 1, according to Morris Media Network Management. Mi-chael Campbell, commercial sponsorship and advertising manager, Directorate of Fam-ily and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and Angela Major, chief, Plans, Analysis and In-tegration Office, were chosen from more than 140 individu-als and 200 submissions.

“With Top Forty under 40 honorees from Ketchikan to North Pole, we are pleased to have a statewide representa-tion in the 2013 class,” said An-drew Jensen, managing editor of the Alaska Journal of Com-merce. “This is an outstanding group of young people making a difference both profession-ally and personally throughout Alaska in the private, public and non-profit sectors. The future of the state is truly in good hands.”

Col. Ronald M. Johnson, commander, United States Army Garrison Fort Wain-wright, said, “This is an in-credible achievement and both Mike and Angela should be extremely proud. Not only is this an outstanding individu-al achievement for them, it is representative of the quality of our civilian employees here at Fort Wainwright.”

Major has served the Army as a Soldier and as a civil-ian for more than a decade. She now serves as an advisor to the garrison commander. The PAIO develops the gar-rison strategic plan, promotes sustainability and process im-

provement; develops and mon-itors the garrison customer service program; supports unit stationing actions and works behind the scenes to support the Fort Wainwright commu-nity. “I personally take pride in knowing that every day I am working to make life better for Soldiers and their Families,” she said.

Campbell’s work at Fort Wainwright is a natural com-plement for his love of commu-nity service, he said. His work often takes him into the com-munity, building partnerships between local businesses and Fort Wainwright’s DFMWR mission of providing events and services for the Army Family. “I just love my commu-nity,” Campbell said. “I am a direct reflection of my commu-nity and my upbringing. The fact that I can better my com-munity means a lot to me.”

The Alaska Journal of Com-merce was established in 1977 and began recognizing the state’s top young professionals, younger than age 40 in 1998. Candidates have to be younger than 40 years-old as of Jan. 1, 2013. They must live and work in Alaska year-round, have demonstrated professional ex-cellence in their field and dis-play a commitment to the com-munity.

“We are all very proud of Mike and Angela,” Johnson said.

The 2013 “Top Forty under 40” class will be honored April 5 in Anchorage at the Hotel Captain Cook. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and the event will run from noon to 1 p.m.

For more information on this distinguished award, visit www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Journal-of-Commerce/January-Issue-5-2013/2013-T o p - F o r t y - U n d e r - 4 0 -Announced/#ixzz2Jx9Vf200.

Mike Campbell, commercial sponsorship and advertising manager, Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, and Angela Major (right), chief, Plans, Analysis and Integration Office, were chosen from more than 140 individuals and 200 submissions as part of the “Top Forty under 40” by the Alaskan Journal of Commerce. Both are Army Civilian Corps employees on Fort Wainwright. Also pictured is Lisa Herbert, executive director of the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce and wife of United States Air Force, Master Sgt. Pete Herbert. (Courtesy photo)

Alaska’s Top 40 includes Army civilian employees

Fort Wainwright’s Black History Month observance will be at the Physical Fitness Center Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. John Quarles, deputy director, 413th Expeditionary Con-

tracting Command, will be the guest speaker. Persons without military ID cards must stop

at the gate to get a pass.

Fort Wainwright garrison and Bassett Army Community Hospital are sponsoring Diaper

Daze, an information fair for expectant parents and parents of newborns. There will be give-

aways, car seat checks, and information on the Women, Infant, Children program, post-partum

depression, and much more.

Noncommissioned officer and Soldier of the Quarter recognizedstory and photos by Brian schlumbohm,Fort Wainwright PAO

The U.S. Army Alaska Noncommissioned O-fficer and Soldier of the Quarter recognition cer-emony took place Tues-day in Fort Wainwright’s Assembly Building. Both military and civilian leaders came together in congratulating and rec-ognizing the outstanding achievements of the two Soldiers.

Staff Sgt. Sean Up-dike, Brigade Troops Bat-talion, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Stryker Brigade Com-bat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was selected as the NCO of the Quarter, 1st Quarter, 2013, and Sgt. Eliana Ortiz, D Com-pany, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade (Alaska), was selected as Soldier of the Quarter, 1st Quarter, 2013.

“You would think the

more boards you do, the less nervous you get Up-dike said, “no, it’s proba-bly the opposite. You want to perform to a level where you feel like you’re repre-senting yourself well. It’s also a chance to represent your organization to all the senior leaders.”

Updike arrived at Fort Wainwright in 2011 and was deployed to Afghani-stan. His most recent as-signments are Headquar-ters and Headquarters Company’s Retention noncommissioned officer and alternate Unit Move-ment Officer. Updike has a Bachelor’s degree in secondary education so-cial studies from Indiana University and is married to Seeum Kim Updike.

Updike said his advice to anyone participating in this would be to “Keep challenging yourself, and stepping outside your comfort zone.”

Ortiz said, “It is a chal-lenge to be a woman in the military, pregnant, a

wife and mother, but I am really proud of what I’m doing. I love the Army, I love my Family, so I have a lot of motivation.”

Ortiz arrived at Fort Wainwright in 2011 and was assigned to D/1-52nd, where she was deployed as a part of Task Force

Denali in June. She is currently enrolled in American Military Uni-versity pursuing a bach-elor’s degree in Trans-portation and Logistics management. She has a three-year college degree in International Busi-ness. She is married and

has three children with one on the way.

Ortiz’s platoon lead-er, Sgt. 1st Class Laura Hull said, “We are all very proud of her.” The quarter board was held on the same day as the promotion board and Or-tiz met both, earning not

only Soldier of the Quar-ter, but also a promotion to sergeant. “I send all the junior Soldiers over to Ortiz,” said Hull, “I couldn’t pick a better mentor for any of these young Soldiers.” (Photos by Brian Schlumbohm/Fort Wainwright PAO)

Maj. Gen. Michael X. Garrett, U.S. Army Alaska Commanding General

As a commander, readiness is one of my top priorities. I am responsible for making sure our units have the personnel, equipment, training and re-sources necessary to complete their assigned missions. My first 12 years in the Army were spent with the Ranger bat-talions where I received what I consider the educational equivalent of a PhD in training management. The experience and knowledge I acquired as a junior officer became the foun-dation for all that I have ac-complished in my career. The principles I learned for man-aging the training of a platoon are still the base principles I use to manage the training of a division-level command.

I believe that if our leaders instill proper principles into our Soldiers, these principles will help ensure their contin-ued success throughout their careers and lives. Once Sol-diers have been trained to per-form a task correctly, they will always know what right looks like. This is also true for finan-

cial readiness. Leaders must train every Soldier on how to keep personal finances in or-der. This will go a long way toward preventing personal matters and financial emer-gencies from impacting your unit’s mission readiness.

I have seen Soldiers bur-dened with substantial debts endure life-changing conse-quences to their marriages, financial futures and careers. Stress caused by troubled fi-nances is a leading cause of divorce. Many troops don’t realize that bad credit, bank-ruptcies and large amounts of debt can prevent them from obtaining or keeping a securi-ty clearance. It is not uncom-mon for company command-ers and first sergeants to be contacted by creditors seek-ing help to recoup debts from a Soldier. This is often the creditor’s final effort before moving forward with legal action and possible court-or-dered garnishment of wages.

Many Soldiers, especially first-termers, have never been taught how to create or man-age a budget, what a variable percentage rate is or the true cost of credit. Soldiers who

have never had consistent in-come before joining the Army frequently have the hardest time learning to manage their personal finances. They often go from having very little spending money before basic training to regular paychecks and multiple credit cards at their first duty station. With-out exercising financial re-straint, these temptations can result in debts and fi-nancial consequences that can trouble Soldiers for the

rest of their lives.Leaders should know which

of their Soldiers have yet to file their 2012 taxes and if necessary offer them guid-ance on how to file. There are tax-filing services available on base that are free for Soldiers. I recommend leaders encour-age Soldiers with debt to use any tax returns to pay down the debts they already have rather than using the money as a down payment on a new debt. This is good advice for leaders to give Soldiers who receive Alaska Permanent Fund dividends as well.

Commanders have tools available to them for educat-ing themselves and their Sol-diers on financial readiness. Army Community Service is a wonderful resource staffed with professional budget edu-cators who offer free classes and training to our Soldiers and their Families. ACS of-fers monthly personal finan-cial readiness classes that are mandatory for every first-term Soldier to attend. If Soldiers haven’t received this training prior to arriving in Alaska, I expect leaders to make sure they get the training here. ACS

also provides training and ex-pertise on financially planning before permanent change of station moves that every junior enlisted Soldier must take ad-vantage of when they receive orders to leave Alaska. Leaders at every level must familiarize themselves with all the other training programs available through ACS.

We must all recognize that financial readiness is mission readiness. We have a respon-sibility to be as prepared as possible to defend this nation. That applies down through ev-ery echelon of command to the individual Soldier.

I enjoy every day I get to spend wearing this uniform and serving our Soldiers. I would like to express my grati-tude to each of you for volun-teering to serve the American people and defend our Con-stitution. The life of a Soldier is a demanding one and I ap-preciate the sacrifice each of you has made for the honor of serving in our Army. I ask that you continue to give your best every single day and I promise to do the same.

Arctic Warrior!Arctic Tough!

COmmeNTAry2February 15, 2013 ALASKA POST

ALASKA POSTHome of the Arctic WarriorsEDITORIAL STAFF

Fort Wainwright Garrison CommanderCol. Ronald M. Johnson

U.s. army Garrison Fort Wainwright PaO

Linda DouglassCommand Information Chief

Connie Storcheditor

Trish Munteanstaff writers

Brian SchlumbohmAllen Shaw

Contributors Staff Sgt. Trish McMurphy, U.S. Army Alaska PAO

Brandy Ostanik, MEDDAC-AK PAO

Capt. Patrick Bracken, 5-1 Cav

The ALASKA POST is authorized by Army Regulation 360-1 and is published by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Army, and is under exclusive written contract. Contents of the ALASKA POST are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the Department of the Army. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the U.S. Army Garrison Ft. Wainwright Public Affairs Office. The ALASKA POST welcomes responsible comments from its readers and will publish letters, articles or photos submitted at least one week prior to the next publication. The ALASKA POST reserves the right to edit or reject submissions. All submitted material will become official Army property unless otherwise indicated. To advertise call (907) 459-7548 Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. The Editorial office is located on Ft. Wainwright in Building 1047 #1; Mailing address is Public Affairs Office, 1060 Gaffney Road, 5900, Ft. Wainwright, AK 99703. Call 353-6779 or 353-6701, or send emails to pao.fwa@us.army.mil

The ALASKA POST – Home of the Arctic Warriors

Maj. Gen. Michael X. Garrett,U.S. Army Alaska

Commanding General

Financial readiness

staff reportFort Wainwright PAO

If you’re working toward the goal of having more money in your pocket at the end of the year than you did at the beginning, Army Community Service can help with their Financial Readiness Program.

It offers classes for Bank Account Management, Credit and Credit Re-ports, Budgeting and Debt Liquidation, Consumer Awareness and Large Pur-chases, Saving and Investing, Fi-nancial Planning for Deployment, PCS/ETS Moves and Personal Financial Readiness.

Monica Teel, Financial Readi-ness Program manager said the Personal Financial Readiness Class is given on a regular basis for first-term Soldiers, privates to cor-porals and specialists, but spous-es and oth-er ranks are also encour-aged to attend.

The class cov-ers subjects such as principles of personal finance, banking and check-ing accounts, using credit wisely, saving and investing, setting goals and budgeting, getting insurance, large pur-chases and consumer scams.

Topics of discussion include family financial issues, shared responsibility, finances and children, protecting your family and military specific issues such as deployment, relocation, benefits and transitioning into civilian life.

It also covers potential problems, bank accounts, credit cards and identity theft

and numerous other subjects Soldiers and their Families may find helpful.

Teel said one-on-one counseling is available for budgeting, payment plan-ning, debt liquidation, reconciling bank accounts, credit reports and credit re-pair, consumer advocacy issues, and planning for PCS, ETS, retirement or major purchases.

Soldiers and their families should al-ways be working towards the next PCS

move or leaving active service, Teel said. There are briefings that teach

how to plan and work towards their goals. Or they can come

to Teel for individual coun-seling to plan on how to

best use their income and spouse income to reduce their debt and save for the fu-ture.

“I am also avail-able to help spous-es that do not have strong financial management skills get set up for tak-ing over the fi-nances,” Teel said. “An individual session might in-clude goal-setting,

planning for future expenses, changes

in income, and emer-gencies. I also assist

with bank-account management and payday plan-

ning to avoid missed payments and negative bank-account balances. If the client requests, I am available to schedule recurring checkups through-out the deployment to see if they are on track or if adjustments to the plan need to be made in order for them to reach their goals.”

For more information on the Army Community Service Financial Readi-ness Program, call Teel at 353-7438.

Financial readiness program prepares you for life

Brian schlumbohm,Fort Wainwright PAO

Zac Hart, training specialist at Fort Wainwright’s School Age Servic-es, points to a display board with art pieces being created by budding artists at the center. As part of this month’s theme from the Boys and Girls Club’s Digital Arts Festival, Hart is working with youths on the National Gallery of Arts’ interactive art webpage where they can create original pieces of art using various interactive tools, images and themes.

“Designed to increase kids’ engage-ment in art.,” Hart said, the site allows the youths to create their own artwork online using a digital canvas, placing images and backgrounds from catalogs of templates and objects.

The online interactive site is edu-cational and ranges from creating art with American folk art from the 18th and 19th centuries, natural and man-made objects and images of paper, stone and wood, still-life objects, abstract design and collages, architecture and even jungle themes. It is all interactive for kids to shrink or enlarge, colorize, lighten or darken and place anywhere

on their ‘digital canvas’ as they like. Hart said the prefabricated back-

grounds, objects and images allow the youths to make decisions on how to ar-range and place objects in their art.

The process teaches them to under-stand the elements of art as in back-ground and foreground use; horizon line placement; placing objects for bal-ance and emphasis while allowing them to try new things without wasting pa-per or materials. A reset button allows the digital artists to clean the canvas if it just wasn’t working for them.

The artwork developed by children in the grades kindergarten through 6th will be on display throughout the facil-ity at building 4166. For more informa-tion, call 361-7394. To find out more about this online, interactive art, go to http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm.

Presently, kids’ fine arts are being displayed at the Last Frontier Commu-nity Activities Center, building 1044 and in coming weeks, a display show-ing photographs taken by children at the center will be shown there as well.

The Boys and Girls Club of America have more details about the 2013 Digi-tal Arts Festival at http://dafgallery.bgca.net/index.html?cat=Graphic.

Zac Hart, training specialist, School Age Services, shows some of the digital mas-terpieces being created at the School Age Center. (Photo by Brian Schlumbohm/Fort Wainwright PAO)

2013 Digital Arts Festival

NeWS 3February 15, 2013ALASKA POST

21406675FAIRBANKS PUBLISHING

AK POST/AP/MILITARY 6 x 10.5

Need help understanding your credit card statement? This simple list from the Feder-al Reserve can help you under-stand features of your monthly credit card statement. For more financial information from the federal reserve and other agen-cies, visit https://www.facebook.com/CFPBMilitary.

Affinity card: A card that of-fers rewards that benefit groups and organizations.Annual fee: A yearly fee that may be charged for having a credit card. Some card issuers assess the fee in monthly install-ments.Annual percentage rate (APR): For credit cards, the APR is the cost of credit ex-pressed as a yearly interest rate. Each billing period (usual-ly about a month), the company charges a fraction of the annual rate, called the periodic rate.Application fee: A fee charged when you apply for a credit cardBalance transfer: The act of transferring debt from one cred-it card account to another. Bal-ance-transfer fees may apply.Balance-transfer fee: A fee charged when you make a bal-ance transfer. It may be a flat fee or a percentage of the transfer.Cash-advance fee: A fee charged when you use a credit card for a cash advance, such as withdraw-ing cash from an ATM. This may be a flat fee or a percentage of the amount of the cash advance.Credit bureau: An agency that keeps a record of your credit; also called a credit-reporting agency. To learn more about credit bureaus, visit our Con-sumer’s Guide to Credit Reports and Credit Scores.Credit card: A payment device that allows you to make a pur-chase when you don’t have cash on hand. Your card’s terms and conditions and any additional features will be outlined in your credit card agreement.

Credit card agreement: A document that outlines the terms and conditions for using your credit card. It is your contract with your credit card company.Credit counseling service: A service that employs credit coun-selors who will look at your finan-cial situation and help develop repayment options. They may be able to negotiate with your credit card company. They may charge a fee for their services.Credit history: See credit report.Credit limit: The maximum amount that may be borrowed on a credit card.Credit-limit-increase fee: A fee charged if you ask for and receive an increase in your credit limit.Credit report: A history of loan and bill payments, kept by a credit bureau and used by fi-nancial institutions and other potential creditors to determine the likelihood that your future debt will be repaid. Lenders and insurers use information from credit reports, along with your credit score, to set loan and in-surance rates. Also called a cred-it history. To learn more about credit reports, visit our Consum-er’s Guide to Credit Reports and Credit Scores.Credit reporting agency: See credit bureau.Credit score: A number that summarizes your credit record and history. The score is based on several factors, including whether you pay your bills on time, your current level of debt, the types of credit and loans you have, and the length of your credit history. Lenders and in-surers use your credit score and information from credit reports to set loan and insurance rates. To learn more about credit scores, visit our Consumer’s Guide to Credit Reports and Credit Scores.Debt cancellation coverage: Cancels your debt if you become

unemployed, disabled, or meet other criteria covered by your contract.Debt suspension coverage: Stops your payments during pe-riods of unemployment, disabil-ity, or other situations covered by your contract. You will still need to pay back the debt after the situation ends.Default APR: See penalty APR.Everyday debit card trans-actions: Purchases made with your debit card on a day-to-day basis (excludes all checks and automatic bill payments)Fixed-rate APR: An APR set at a certain percent that can-not change during the period of time outlined in your credit card agreement. If your company does not specify a time period, the rate cannot change as long as your account is open.“Go-to” rate: Interest rate you are charged after the introduc-tory rate.Index: The reference point used to calculate interest-rate adjust-ments for adjustable-rate APRs on credit cards. The index rate can increase or decrease at any time. Common indexes include the prime rate and the one-, three- , and six-month Treasury bill rates.Interest-free period: The number of days you have to pay your bill in full before an interest charge is assessed on purchases. It is the period of time between the date of a purchase and when the payment is due. This period typically does not apply to cash advances.Interest rate: The price paid for borrowing money. For credit cards, the interest rate is usual-ly stated as a yearly percentage rate, called annual percentage rate, or APR.Introductory APR: The APR charged during the credit card’s introductory period after a credit card account is opened. The card will have a different APR after the introductory period ends.

Late-payment fee: A fee charged if your payment is re-ceived after the due date.Membership fee: See an-nual fee.Minimum interest charge: The minimum amount of inter-est you will be charged if you are charged any interest. For example, if your total interest charge is $0.75 but the credit card company’s minimum inter-est charge is $1.00, you will be charged $1.00.Opt-in: Giving your credit card company or bank permis-sion to include you in a par-ticular service.Opt-out: Declining a particular service offered by your bank.Over-the-limit fee: A fee charged if your account balance goes over your credit limit. You will not be charged this fee unless you have authorized your credit card com-pany to permit transactions that exceed your credit limit.Overdraft: An overdraft occurs when you write a check, make an ATM transaction, use your debit card to make a purchase, or make an automatic bill payment or other electronic payment for an amount greater than the bal-ance in your checking account. Participation fee: See an-nual fee.Penalty APR: The APR charged on new transactions if you trig-ger the penalty terms in your credit card contract. Your credit card issuer may consider you in default if you pay late, go over your credit limit, or if your check is returned. These rates usually are higher than your standard or introductory rates. If you be-come more than sixty days late, the penalty APR may be applied to your existing balance.Penalty fees: Fees charged if you violate the terms of your cardholder agreement or other requirements related to your ac-count. For example, your credit card company may charge a penalty fee if you make a late

payment or if you exceed your credit limit.Periodic rate: The rate you are charged each billing period. For many credit card plans, the periodic rate is a monthly rate, calculated by dividing the APR by twelve. For example, a cred-it card with a 24 percent APR has a monthly periodic rate of 2 percent.Premium credit card: A cred-it card that offers high credit limits and often has additional features like product warran-ties, travel insurance, or emer-gency services. It may also offer rewards, such as cash back or frequent-flier miles.Prime rate: An index that rep-resents the interest rate most banks charge their most credit-worthy customers. See index.Purchase APR: The APR you will pay for purchases if you car-ry a balance on your credit card. For many cards, you only have to pay interest on purchases if you carry over a balance.Retail credit card: A credit card associated with a retail store. Depending on the type of card, you may be able to use it at locations other than the one where you received the card.Secured credit card: Secured cards typically require a cash security deposit. The larger the security deposit, the higher the credit limit. Usually, secured cards are used to build credit by those who don’t have a long credit history, like young people, or those who have had credit problems in the past.Set-up fee: A fee that may be charged when you open a new credit card account.Treasury bill rate: The rate paid by the government on its short-term borrowing. See index.Variable-rate APR: An APR that may change depending on other factors, such as the prime rate or Treasury bill rate.Workout agreement: A type of debt management plan.

Increase your finanical readiness IQ

NeWS4February 15, 2013 ALASKA POST

Brian schlumbohm,Fort Wainwright PAO

February is African American Black

History Month, honoring the many con-tributions and sacrifices made by Afri-can Americans in the forming of the nation and in the defense of the United States of America.

This year’s theme, “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emanci-pation Proclamation and the March on Washington,” commemorates two very important events in our history and the progress of a nation.

This year is the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, de-clared on January 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln. The presidential or-der declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebel states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” And with that would also be established the recruitment of African Americans into the military. As a presidential order, the Emancipation Proclamation was not a law passed by Congress, so Lincoln pressed for the abolition of slavery to become an amendment to the Constitu-tion. The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress Jan. 31, 1865, and later would be ratified by the states Dec. 6, 1865.

This year also is a milepost as the 50th anniversary of the March on Wash-ington.

On Aug. 28, 1963, more than 200,000

Americans gathered in Washington, D.C., for a political rally known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Organized by a number of civil rights and religious groups, the event was designed to bring attention to the political and social challenges Af-rican Americans faced across the coun-try. The march, which became a key mo-ment in the growing struggle for civil rights in the United States, culminated in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call for racial justice and equality.

Fort Wainwright’s African Ameri-can Black History Month observance is slated for Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. in the Physical Fitness Center. John Quar-les, deputy director, 413th Expedition-ary Contracting Command, will be the guest speaker. Co-hosts, the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division and the U.S. Army Alaska Equal Opportunity Office encourage members of the public to attend. Civil-ians without Department of Defense ID cards must stop at the main gate visi-tors’ center and present valid driver’s license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration for a pass. For more infor-mation about the installation’s obser-vance, call 353-9234.

To find out more information on the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington visit the Library of Congress website, www.loc.gov or view videos at www.history.com.

Cody starken,Army News Service

Furloughs, budget cuts and curtail-ment of training could significantly im-pact Army readiness if sequestration is allowed to take place March 1, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno told lawmakers Tuesday morning.

Odierno testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, and the other military service chiefs, regarding sequestration.

Sequestration would trigger an ap-proximate 10-percent budget cut across the government March 1, in accordance with a clause in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2013, unless Congress and the president can reach a compromise before then.

“The fiscal outlook that the Army faces in fiscal year 13 is dire, and to my knowl-edge, unprecedented,” Odierno said.

Since 2008, the total Army budget will have been reduced by 37 percent. If sequestration is enacted, it will be greater than 45 percent. This reduces the ability to reset the force, and delays all the modernization programs the Army currently funds, he said.

“We simply cannot take the readiness of our force for granted. If we do not have the resources to train and equip the force, our Soldiers, our young men and women, are the ones who will pay the price, potentially with their lives,” said Odierno.

The Army will also have constraints on military training and readiness, Odi-erno said, and activities will face bud-get cuts for the current fiscal year and beyond. Even though current military personnel are spared, civilian employ-ees will be affected through layoffs and furloughs. An Army-wide hiring freeze

has already begun, and about 3,100 temporary and term employees have been terminated.

This sequestration means curtailing training of 80 percent of ground forces, affecting basic war-fighting skills. It could also introduce a critical shortfall in areas such as aviation, intelligence and engineering, Odierno said.

Personnel, training, and equipment weren’t the only things discussed re-garding sequestration. Local business will be affected as well.

“In the Army, we are going to have to reduce purchase orders from 3,000 small companies,” said Odierno. “From an Army prospective, it will hit the small companies, which are really dev-astating .”

The National Guard was present to express their challenges due to seques-tration.

“Full sequestration and the year-long resolution will directly impact the readiness of our units and will have an impact on the full range of our National Guard activities,” he said. “In the area of personnel: a government, civilian, and military-technician hiring freeze compounded by a 22-day furlough will limit our ability to train and maintain our National Guard forces,” said Gen. Frank Grass, chief of the Army Nation-al Guard.

The Army, as well as the rest of the services, implores resolution to happen soon to prevent sequestration from oc-curring and affecting the overall readi-ness of the forces.

“I know what it takes to prepare this nation’s sons and daughters for war. I know what it takes to grow leaders in our Army. I know what is required to send Soldiers into combat, and I’ve seen the consequences when they are sent unprepared,” said Odierno.

Black History Month theme links historic events at crossroads

This year’s theme: At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington. For more information, call Master Sgt. Paul Wayfield, 353-9234. (File photo)

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee, March 8, 2012. He testified again Feb. 11, 2013, about how se-questration would affect the U.S. Army. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade)

On Aug. 28, 1963, thousands were drawn to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to be part of what would become a historic event: the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. (File photo)

CSA tells senators sequestration would impact readiness

SOLDIERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING

353-6610Have a Plan,Call Someone.

NeWS5

February 15, 2013ALASKA POST

12406584FAIRBANKS ICE DOGS/ARCTIC

C. todd Lopez,Army News

President Barack Obama placed the Medal of Honor around the neck of former Army Staff Sgt. Clinton Rome-sha during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday.

Romesha is the fourth living service member to receive the medal for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The former Soldier earned the Medal of Honor for actions Oct. 3, 2009, at Combat Outpost Keating, Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.

On that morning, Com-bat Outpost, or COP, Keating, manned by only 53 Soldiers and situated at the bottom of a steep valley, came under at-tack by as many as 300 Taliban fighters.

During the fight, the pe-rimeter of COP Keating was breached by the enemy. Ro-mesha, who was injured in the battle, led the fight to protect the bodies of fallen Soldiers, provide cover to those Soldiers seeking medical assistance, and reclaim the American outpost that would later be deemed “tactically indefensible.”

“Throughout history, the question has often been asked, why? Why do those in uniform take such extraordinary risks? And what compels them to such courage?” the president said. “You ask Clint and any of these Soldiers who are here today, and they’ll tell you. Yes, they fight for their country, and they fight for our freedom. Yes, they fight to come home to their families. But most of all, they fight for each other, to keep each other safe and to have each other’s backs.”

The White House ceremony was attended by several hun-dred, including lawmakers, de-fense leaders, Romesha’s fam-ily, and team members from Romesha’s own Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Com-bat Team, 4th Infantry Divi-sion. Also there was Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chan-dler III.

The president said that upon learning he would receive the Medal of Honor, Romesha displayed the brand of humble-ness typical of many Soldiers.

“When I called Clint to tell him that he would receive this medal, he said he was honored, but he also said, ‘it wasn’t just me out there, it was a team effort,’” the president said. “And so today we also honor

this American team, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Included among those who died in the fighting that day in Afghanistan were, Staff Sgt. Justin Gallegos, Sgt. Chris-topher Griffin, Sgt. Joshua Hardt, Sgt. Joshua Kirk, Spc. Stephan Mace, Staff Sgt. Ver-non Martin, Sgt. Michael Scu-sa, and Pfc. Kevin Thomson.

“Each of these patriots gave their lives looking out for each other,” Obama said. “In a battle that raged all day, that brand of selflessness was displayed again and again and again, Sol-diers exposing themselves to enemy fire to pull a comrade to safety, tending to each oth-er’s wounds, (and) performing ‘buddy transfusions,’ giving each other their own blood.”

The president said on that day, it wasn’t just Romesha who earned recognition for

his actions, it was dozens of Soldiers. From that battle, Soldiers earned 37 Army Com-mendation Medals, 27 Purple Hearts, 18 Bronze Stars and nine Silver Stars, the president said.

“These men were outnum-bered, outgunned and almost overrun,” Obama said. “Look-ing back, one of them said, ‘I’m surprised any of us made it out.’ But they are here today. And I would ask these Soldiers, this band of brothers, to stand and accept the gratitude of our entire nation.

“God bless you, Clint Rome-sha, and all of your team,” the president said. “God bless all who serve. And God bless the United States of America.”

The president then asked that the Medal of Honor Ci-tation be read, and follow-ing that, he placed the medal around Romesha’s neck.

President Barack Obama awards former Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 11, 2013. (Chuck Kennedy/White House)

Former Army Soldier awarded Medal of Honor

Before former Staff Sgt. Clinton L. Romesha and his fellow Bravo Troop, 3rd Squad-ron, 61st Cavalry Regiment Soldiers arrived at Combat Outpost Keating, nestled in the Hindu Kush mountains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. (US Army photo)

staff report, Fort Wainwright PAO

As the days get longer and tem-peratures cooperate, people in the Interior begin to celebrate winter. One of the favorite events for Fair-banks starts today.

Hockey Week in Fairbanks is scheduled through Feb. 24 and is coordinated by the Fairbanks Hockey Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame president Randy Zarnke said he is really excited about the way the event has come together. “There is always something for everyone. We invite the entire community to get involved and join the fun,” he said.

The week kicks off with an un-veiling of the Hockey Week in Fair-banks ice sculpture at the Big Dip-per Ice Arena tonight before the Ice Dogs games and will end with power-skating clinics at the Carl-son Center.

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs take on the the Kenai Brown Bears, in the ERA Cup tonight and Saturday. Ice Dogs head coach Trevor Stew-art said, “The Fairbanks Ice Dogs are extremely excited to be a part of Hockey Week in Fairbanks once again. It is a series of events that the community rallies around with the sport of hockey being the center of attention. Last year was my first experience with the event and it was really evident how important the sport of hockey is in Fairbanks.”

The University of Alaska Fair-banks Nanooks will take the ice on Feb. 22 and 23 against Michigan State University. UAF head coach Dallas Ferguson said, “Hockey Week in Fairbanks is a great com-munity event and one of my favor-ite times of the season. Nanook

Hockey is very proud to participate in Hockey Week in Fairbanks and to join in the community celebration. I’d like to thank Randy Zarnke, all the volunteers and sponsors that make Hockey Week in Fairbanks a wonderful event.”

The Back Yard Rink Contest judg-ing will begin Monday and will end Wednesday so if you haven’t started getting your rink together, there is still time. Not only could you win the contest but your rink could be featured on the website http://www.mybackyardicerink.com/. The win-ner will be announced Feb. 23.

A new event for 2013 is the Rap-id Shot Challenge at Play It Again Sports, a contest on the Rapid Shot system to determine which players in the Fairbanks area can score the highest. Participants will compete against players in their own age group. Sticks will be provided, but participants should feel free to bring their own. Prizes will be awarded.

“Skate-The-Lake” is a family-ori-ented event where a track is plowed around the perimeter of a local pond for families to come out and spend the afternoon enjoying time together. There will be a big bonfire as well as hot chocolate and marsh-mallows, Zarnke said. This event has received great reviews and is a fun time for all.

He said, “We couldn’t do all this without the participation of a lot of partners. The Borough Parks and Recreation Department along with many businesses and individuals help make this a great community-wide celebration.”

For more info, contact Randy Zarnke at itrap2@gci.net or call 452-6857.

The current schedule for Hockey Week in Fairbanks is listed below.

Feb. 15 Unveiling of 2013 HWIF ice sculpture Big DipperFeb. 15 Ice Dogs vs. Kenai (Era Cup) Big DipperFeb. 15 to 17 “February Freeze” Girls & Women’s tournament* Patty CenterFeb. 15 to 22 Rapid Shot Challenge Play It Again SportsFeb. 16 Free skate sharpening Sport KingFeb. 16 Extravaganza Big DipperFeb. 16 Ice Dogs vs. Kenai (Era Cup) Big DipperFeb. 17 Skate the Lake King’s PondFeb. 18 to 20 3-on-3 tourneys Big DipperFeb. 18 to 20 Back Yard Rink Contest – judging CommunityFeb. 19 to 22 Reading in schools Area schools Feb. 19 Special Olympics floor hockey Barnette schoolFeb. 21 to 24 Tier I State Tourneys – Bantam & 16 Midget* Big Dipper & UAFFeb. 22 Wear Your Jersey to School (and Work) Day Area schoolsFeb. 22 UAF vs Michigan State Carlson CenterFeb. 23 Free skate sharpening Play It Again Sports Feb. 23 Hall of Fame induction ceremony Big DipperFeb. 23 UAF/Ice Dogs/Gold Kings alumni game Carlson Center Feb. 23 Announce winner Back Yard Rink Contest Carlson CenterFeb. 23 UAF vs Michigan State Carlson CenterFeb. 24 Power-skating clinics Carlson Center

Hockey Week in Fairbanks 2013: A community celebration

Fort Wainwright children pose with University of Alaska Nanook hockey players during a meet and greet at Fort Wainright. (File photo)

COmmUNITy CALeNDAr�February 15, 2013 ALASKA POST

40406356BR&ASSOC/AK MARINE HWY

AK POST/AP-AMHS-01713 x 7.0

40407473NATIONAL VISION ASSOC AK POST/BUYONE,GET 1

3 x 10.5

12406875UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA AKPOST/BANNF-AKPOST

3 x 2.75

Friday – 15thFaMe FItness sessIOns, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. and 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-9137.

FaMe ChILd Care sessIOns, 9 to 10:30 a.m.; 10:30 a.m. to noon; 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., Melaven Fitness Cen-ter, building 3452. Cost is $35 per month, per child, per session. Pre-registration begins the 20th of the month for the next month’s sessions. Call 353-9137.

LUnChtIMe head PIn BOWLInG, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nug-get Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

dIsaBLed transItIOn assIstanCe PrOGraM, 1 to 3 p.m. DTAP briefing, Welcome Center basement, building 3401. Call 353-2113.

stOrY hOUr: COMe tO the BaYOU, 4 to 5 p.m., post library, building 3700. No cost. Call 353-2642.

stOOPId keWPId MIsMatCh danCe, 7 to 10 p.m., Youth Center, building 4109. Call 361-5437.

COsMIC BOWLInG, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-4137.

ICe sCULPtUre UnVeILInG, 6:30 p.m., Big Dipper Ice Arena, before Ice Dogs game to kick off Hockey Week in Fairbanks. Call 452-6857.

saturday – 16thInterIOr aLaska ICe FIshInG, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Outdoor Recreation Center, building 4050. Cost is $45. Call 361-6349.

GrOUP CYCLInG CLass, 10 to 11a.m. Physical Fit-ness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

YOGa FOr athLetes, 11 a.m. to noon, Physical Fit-ness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

COMMander’s CUP hOCkeY, Army vs. Air Force, 1:15 to 2:15, Big Dipper Ice Arena. Call 452-6857.

ZUMBa FItness CLass, 1 to 2 p.m., Physical Fit-ness Center, building 3709. Cost is $7. Call 353-7294.

Chess CLUB, 3 to 4 p.m., Last Frontier Community Activity Center, building 1044. Call 353-7755.

WInter serIes OF POker, 6 to 7 p.m., the Warrior Zone, building 3205. DoD cardholders 18 and older. Call 353-1087.

COsMIC BOWLInG, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

sunday – 17th CathOLIC serVICes, 8 and 11 a.m., Catholic Mass. Catholic religious education, 10 a.m. Southern Lights Chapel, building 4107. Call 353-9825.

GOsPeL serVICes, 1 p.m. Gospel Worship service, Bassett Army Community Hospital, third-floor confer-ence room, building 4076. Call 353-9825.

PrOtestant serVICes, 10 a.m., Sunday school. 11 a.m., Sunday Protestant worship Northern Lights Chapel, building 3430. Call 353-9825.

FaMILY tUBInG daY, 1 to 7 p.m., Birch Hill Ski and Snowboard Area, building 1172. Call 353-6795.

Monday – 18thZUMBa FItness CLass, 6 to 7 p.m., Physical Fit-ness Center, building 3709. Cost is $7. Call 353-7223.

tUrBO kICk, 5 to 6 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

WashInGtOn’s BIrthdaY skI daY, noon to 8 p.m., Birch Hill Ski and Snowboard Area. Call 353-6795.

tuesday – 19thLeaPs FOr LearnInG, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Murphy Hall, building 1045. Cost is $50 per month. Ages 2 to 5. Call 353-7713.

GrOUP CYCLInG CLass, 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.; 5 to 6 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

eMPLOYMent WOrkshOP, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Department of Labor Employment workshop. Welcome Center basement. Call 353-2113.

PreGnanCY FItness, 11 a.m. to noon, Physical Fit-ness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

hOUr OF POWer GrOUP strenGth CLass, noon to 12:45 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

YOGa FOr athLetes, 6 to 7 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

Wednesday – 20thCOre traInInG, 5:30 to 6:30 a.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

FaMe FItness sessIOns, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. and 10:45 to 11:45 a.m., Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Call 353-9137.

GYM FLOOr CLOsed, Event set up: African Ameri-can Black History Month observance. The event begins at 1:30 p.m.

FaMe ChILd Care sessIOns, care times start and end within 15 minutes of FAME Fitness sessions, Melaven Fitness Center, building 3452. Cost is $35 per month, per child, per session. Pre-registration begins Feb. 20 for the March sessions. Call 353-9137.

GrOUP CYCLInG CLass, noon to 1 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

LUnChtIMe head PIn BOWLInG, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nugget Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

tUrBO kICk, 5 to 6 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

FaMILY MOVIe nIGht, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Last Fron-tier Community Activity Center, building 1044. Call 353-7755.

thursday – 21stBaBY sIGns: sIGn, sInG, and PLaY CLasses, 9 to 9:30 a.m., Last Frontier Community Activity Center, building 1044. No cost. Call 353-7372.

rOMP and stOMP PLaYGrOUP, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Last Frontier Community Activity Center, building1044. No cost. Call 353-7372.

GrOUP CYCLInG CLass, 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

hOUr OF POWer GrOUP strenGth CLass, noon to 12:45 p.m., Physical Fitness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

YOGa FOr BeGInners, 6 to 7 p.m., Physical Fit-ness Center, building 3709. Call 353-7223.

ZUMBa FItness CLass, 6 to 7 p.m., Physical Fit-ness Center, building 3709. Cost is $7. Call 353-7294.

LUnChtIMe head PIn BOWLInG, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nug-get Lanes Bowling Center, building 3702. Call 353-2654.

FOr yOUr INFOrmATION7

February 15, 2013ALASKA POST

Fort Wainwright PaO website:

www.wainwright.mil

13406126AMERICAN TIRE WRHSE

AK POST/AK POST 2 x 8.0

11407410JUST HAIRCUTS AK POST/COU-

PON 1 x 4.0

13406124VIP CLEANERS

AK POST/AK POST-STV

1 x 3.0

13406171FAIRBANKS TIRED IRON AK POST/AK POST-PING

2 x 6.0

Military Family College Night is set for Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in the youth center. There will be presen-tations by representatives from local universities, the education center, the Army and Air Force to talk about college options. Information will be provided on how to fill out the Free Application for Federal Stu-dent Aid, or FAFSA. For more information, call the School Liaison Office, 361-9897.

The Spring Job and Internship Fair takes place Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the Wood Center. Employers will be on campus to fill positions in engineering, business, so-cial services and other sectors. There will be job posi-tions for full-time, part-time and seasonal work, so make sure to have a complete, up-to-date resume on UAF Career Connect. A link to the Career Connect site and an up-to-date list of employers participating at the job fair will be available at www.uaf.edu/career. Make sure to check here for an updated list of em-ployers recruiting at the Spring Job and Internship Fair this year.

Mandatory for transitioning Soldiers and recom-mended for spouses, the Alaska Department of La-bor Veterans’ Employment representatives present transition-assistance workshops on post. Learn how to job-search, develop your resume, practice inter-viewing, understand networking and negotiate salary and benefits. Limited space is available and advance registration is required for the three-day workshops. For more information, contact the Army Career and Alumni Program, 353-2113.

At the direction of the commanding officers of Eiel-son Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright, the follow-ing locations are declared off-limits to military per-sonnel assigned or attached to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright:

The Smoke Shop, 334 Old Steese HighwayThe Scentz, 1616 Cushman StreetMr. Rock and Roll, 1452 Cushman StreetMr. Rock and Roll II, 2016 College RoadStill Smoking Tobacco & Gifts, 516 Old Steese Highway

The Smoke Shop and The Scentz are off-limits to military personnel immediately per the Armed Forc-es Disciplinary Control Board and are being recom-mended to be placed permanently off-limits to U.S. Army Alaska Command and Eielson’s commander. The other establishments remain permanently off limits to Air Force and Army personnel.

Active-duty, military retirees from all branches and their Family members who have simple person-al income tax returns are eligible for tax assistance service. Returns may be filed electronically whether you are getting a refund or you owe taxes. Only taxes prepared by a Fort Wainwright Tax Assistance Center staff member can be electronically filed at the Tax As-sistance Center. The Tax Assistance Center is located in building 1051-9 near the law center on the north side of Fort Wainwright. Walk-in customers are wel-come, but customers with appointments take priority. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 353-2613.

The Defense Commissary Agency Scholarships for Military Children Program is offering scholarships to qualified applicants. Application deadline is Feb. 22. Scholarship awards will be based on available funds; however individual awards of at least $1,500 are antic-ipated by DECA leaders. If there are no eligible appli-cants, the funds allotted will be forwarded to another installation. Applications are available through the local commissary or online at www.militaryscholar.org or www.commissaries.com. Application deadline is Feb. 22. For more information call Loriann McDon-ald at 353-7310.

The Fort Wainwright Community Spouses Club offers a scholarship program for Army Families. The deadline to submit application packages is March 14. Information and applications are on the CSC website, at www.wainwrightcsc.org (click on The Latest News) or visit www.facebook.com/WainwrightCSC

The garrison Safety Office has posted motorcycle training classes at https://apps.imcom.army.milAIRS. Soldiers who want to ride this summer are required to complete the necessary course or courses before taking to the road. For more information contact Greg Sanches at gregory.j.sanches.civ@mail.mil or call 353-7079.

The Alaska State Barbecue Association’s fifth an-nual Brr B-Q competition in conjunction with the Tired Iron vintage snowmachine races on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks Feb. 23. All backyard grill masters are encouraged to participate in this one-of-kind experience. Soldiers and members of the Fort Wainwright community have already registered to show they can cook the best chicken and ribs, no matter what the temperature, and are throwing down a challenge. Is it Georgia, Texas or Alaska that has the best dang barbecue? Dress warm and fire up the cookers. For more information, visit http://alaskabbq.org or call 750-2888.

Family, Morale and Welfare and Recreation at the Seward Resort offers something fun for everyone, in-cluding snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and snowmobiling (weather permitting). For more information call (907) 224-5559, then choose the op-tion for the operator who can provide information on everything they offer.

The Fort Wainwright Fire Department would like to remind everyone to please keep fire hydrants visi-ble and accessible during the winter months. Soldiers, Families and civilian employees can help by keeping snow cleared at least three feet around fire hydrants. Please also keep a path clear from the hydrant to the road. This can help firefighters quickly find and use the fire hydrant to fight a fire, which can save precious time to save lives and property. Keep the sidewalks

and entries clear of excess snow. All exit doors, me-chanical room doors, sprinkler and standpipe connec-tions should be kept free of snow and ice. Continued diligence will improve the fire department’s access to the building and fire suppression systems in the event of a fire or medical emergency. Thank you for your assistance. If you have an emergency - police, fire or medical - remember to dial 911. Have a warm and safe winter.

Dental Activity-Alaska is inviting military Families to bring their children age 12 months to 12 years for free dental exams every Saturday in February from 9 a.m. to noon, in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month. These exams will be available at the Kamish Dental Clinic, building 3406, next to Burger King. For more information call Sgt. Danikka Guinn, 353-2917.

Wainwright on Wednesday, or WOW, is provided by volunteers every week at 5:30 p.m. in the North-ern Lights Chapel. The program offers free food, fellowship and an opportunity to grow - with class-es for youth, a course for children and a group ori-ented towards parenting children. WOW also offers Bible studies for both men and women. The North-ern Lights Chapel is in building 3430 at the corner of Rhineland and Luzon avenues. For more information call 353-9825.

All fundraisers on Fort Wainwright require the ap-proval of the garrison commander. Fundraisers need to be submitted a minimum of two weeks before the planned event. Fundraiser requests are to be submit-ted to Shenicia Askew at shenicia.askew.naf@mail.mil and a copy furnished to Cindy Blum at cynthia.a.blum.civ@mail.mil. For more information, email Blum or call 353-7633.

Unity Through Cultures is celebrating 40 years with special events Feb. 21 through 23 in the Davis Concert Hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. Performances on Thursday begin at 6:30 p.m., Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. Other events, beginning with the dedication of the Alaska Native Language Archive Wednesday at 6 p.m. are scheduled throughout the week. For more informa-tion visit http://fna.community.uaf.edu or call Eliza-beth Cook at 361-6323.

The ASYMCA offers discount hockey tickets for the home games in the Fairbanks Big Dipper arena, home of the Ice Dogs. ASYMCA sells tickets at their Fort Wainwright office, 1047-4 Nysteen Road. For more information, call 353-5962.

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ALASKA POST�February 15, 2013 ALASKA POST

17407851SN/ ONCE UPON A CHILD AK POST/AK POST-WINT

2 x 5.0

13406114CLEANPRO

AK POST/STV PU ADS-A2 x 4.0

18407314DEL RAYS

AK POST/FIRST FRIDAY2 x 2.0

18407254ALASKA FUN CENTER

SALES AK POST/AK POST

2 x 5.0RED

18407242ESTHER BARBER

& STYLES AK POST/AK

POST 1 x 2.0

11407452FAIRBANKS ORTHODON-

TIC GROUP AK POST/AK POST

2 x 3.0

17407815CUSTODY SOLUTIONS,

LLC AK POST/AK POST-CHIL

2 x 3.0

Greg sanchef,Garrison Safety Office

The days are getting longer, the sun is streaming in our windows and we look at our motorcycles in the garage and say to ourselves “soon. ” We surf the net for new or used motorcycles, we read the latest reviews and we are all just saying “I just want to ride!”

The Installation Safety office will begin sign-ups for the Motor-cycle Safety Training courses to-day. Successful completion of one of these courses is required to op-erate a motorcycle on Fort Wain-wright and to ride on or off post.

We anticipate starting our classes May 1 if the weather cooperates and the roads on post are green. If the course is cleared sometime in April, the Safety Office will start the Basic Rider Course (BRC) early.

A recent change to AR 385-10 implements the Progressive Mo-torcycle Program (PMP) and in-corporates new changes to training requirements.

They are: 1) Active duty person-nel are required to take the Basic Riders Course (BRC) prior to rid-ing a motorcycle on- or off-instal-lation, on-or off-duty, 2) Riders must take the Experienced Riders Course (ERC) within one year of taking the BRC, 3) Riders who are deployed more than 180 days must take the Motorcycle Refresher Training (MRT) prior to resuming riding the motorcycle. MRT is pro-vided by a Unit Trainer.

Registration for the BRC or ERC is located at https://apps.imcom.

army.mil/AIRS/login.aspx Region: Pacific --- Garrison: Ft Wainwright --- Course: Basic or Experienced --- then click on the desired course date on the calendar, and sign-up for applicable course. Courses are offered on a first-come, first-served priority. Registrations are dated and time-stamped on the website.

Due to regulatory changes and contract restrictions, Fort Wain-wright may only offer PMP to Ac-tive Duty Army, National Guard or Reserve personnel. Civilian employees are not required to take the BRC or the ERC and will not be allowed to attend to class.

Contact the Fort Wainwright Police Department for informa-tion regarding installation access requirements for AD members, dependants, retired military and guests.

What do I need to attend the class?1. Motorcycle: For the BRC we do provide a motorcycle for riders who plan to purchase a motorcycle after taking the class. Riders who own one must ride it for the class. For the ERC riders must have their own motorcycles for the class. The registration and insurance will be checked at the beginning of the class.

2. Driver’s license/operator’s per-mit: The State of Alaska issues a learner’s permit for motorcycles. Riders will be required to take a written test to obtain a learner’s permit. Completion of the garrison motorcycle safety course will allow

riders to obtain an AK motorcycle license without taking the riding portion of the state testing.

3. Proof of insurance

4. Protective Equipment:a. Helmet - certified to meet De-

partment of Transportation (DOT) standards and properly fastened under the chin.

b. Goggles or face shield - impact or shatter-resistant goggles or full-face shield protection attached to the helmet. A windshield or eye-glasses alone are not sufficient.

c. Footwear - sturdy footwear, leather boots or over-the-ankle shoes. Tennis shoes, sneakers, or sandals are not sufficient.

d. Clothing - long sleeved shirt or jacket, long trousers, and full-fingered gloves or mittens designed for use on a motorcycle.

e. Riders are encouraged to se-lect PPE that incorporates fluo-rescent colors and retro-reflective material.

For further information see United States Army Garrison, Alaska (USAG-AK) Seatbelt and Motorcycle Operation and Per-sonal Protective Equipment (PPE) Usage Policy (USAG-AK #09-01)

5. Be at the class assembly point before the appointed time, ready to ride, with a FULL tank of gas and appropriate clothing for the weather.

For additional information please contact: Gregory J. Sanches, Instal-lation Safety Office 907-353-7079 Or gregory.j.sanches.civ@mail.mil.

Motorcycle Safety Training 2013

by trish Muntean,Fort Wainwright PAO

While I have been in love many times, only one has lasted 40 plus years - my love for libraries.

Fort Wainwright’s li-brary has a lot to love, said librarian Julia Allen.

“The library is not just a warehouse for books, she said. “It is a place for com-munity, entertainment, recreation, technology and literacy. We will always go above and beyond for our Soldiers and their Fami-lies. More than anything, I want to the library to be a place people want to

patron(ize)-- whether it’s to come to a Story Hour, to study, hang out or use the computers.”

For me, it is all about the books. I am an avid reader and while my boss pays me a decent wage, it is not enough to keep me in books if I want to live in a warm house and eat. The Fort Wainwright Li-brary has a never-ending supply and if they don’t have what you’re looking for, chances are that that they can get it through the inter-library loan pro-gram. The library also has audio books and e-books available through the on-

line catalog. An online ac-count is required before checking out books.

In addition to books, there is other media for checkout: magazines, graphic novels, CDs, video games and a DVD collection. Adults with military identification cards don’t even need a library card to check out materi-als; it can be done with just that. Children however can get a library card so they can check out books under their own names, a rite of passage (that I took great pride in when I got my first library card) that can also teach children responsibility.

Of course, what is

available for checkout is just one of the reasons to love the library, said Joy Wohlman Boyce, library technician.

“The Post Library has it all,” she said. “It re-ally is a Barnes & Noble (without the fireplace...and the books are free). The staff tries to make it a welcoming and friendly environment.”

The staff does so by of-fering something for just about everyone.

The library is such a great place to hang out for new Soldiers and their Families staying at Army lodging, since the two

buildings are in close prox-imity, Wohlman Boyce said. The library offers a lot of free programs and services. There are com-puters to use for work or pleasure with high-speed Wi-Fi. There are also tele-visions with DVD play-ers and video game con-soles to use in the library, too. The library also has “the Imagination Room” for children to discover puzzles, blocks and other games and toys.

In addition, there are the recurring events that bring families back again and again. Feb. 16 is the Mardi Gras Story Hour.

Come to the Bayou (Li-brary) for a Mardi Gras celebration and don’t for-get to wear your beads.

Feb. 22 is the 33rd an-niversary of the United States Olympic hockey team beating the USSR for the gold medal in hockey. There will be hockey stories and crafts to celebrate.

Join the Library in welcoming the Cat in the Hat (who will it be?) for Read Across America at the LFCAC.

In addition to all the family fun activities, the Library provides tutor-ing and proctoring by ap-pointment for all college-age Soldiers and their Families as well as DoD Cardholders.

But there doesn’t have to be an event hap-pening for it to be fun to visit the library, which is why, when no one knows where to find me, that is probably a good place to start looking.

February is library lover’s month

Dig out your gear! Motorcycle season is coming soon. For information on safety training, call Greg Sanchef at the Installation Safety Office, 353-7079. (File photo)